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USS Sheridan (APA-51)
Encyclopedia
USS Sheridan (APA-51) was an that served with the US Navy during World War II
.
Sheridan was named after five United States
counties
which were in turn named after Civil War
General Philip H. Sheridan. The ship was laid down on 5 August 1942 under Maritime Commission contract by the Moore Dry Dock Company
of Oakland, California
as SS Messenger; renamed Sheridan and designated AP-94 by the Navy on 5 October 1942; launched on 11 November 1942; reclassified APA-51 on 1 February 1943; acquired by the Navy from the Maritime Commission on 31 July 1943; and commissioned the same day, Comdr. John J. Mockrish, USNR in command.
; and, on the 25th, she arrived at Wellington, New Zealand, where she embarked marines and their equipment.
training at Efate Island from the 7th to the 9th and sailed from there on the 13th for the invasion of the Gilbert Islands
. Sheridan arrived off Tarawa early in the morning of 20 November 1943 and began debarking troops shortly before noon and cargo in mid-afternoon. The next day, she began reembarking troops, boats, and casualties. Sailing on 24 November, she arrived on 2 December at Pearl Harbor
, where she discharged her casualties and was inspected by Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz
.
On 5 December, she disembarked cargo and marines at Hilo, T.H.
, and then proceeded to the west coast
, arriving at San Diego
on 13 December.
, from 15 to 17 December 1943, and then welcomed the new year, 1944, with more exercises at San Clemente from 1 to 5 January. She then received her combat loadout of troops and supplies and sailed from San Diego on 13 January.
Stopping at Maui
, T.H., just long enough to fuel, she arrived off the beaches of Kwajalein Atoll on 31 January. Her troops participated in the landings at Roi
on 1 February while Sheridan remained off the beaches offloading cargo and acting as a temporary hospital ship pending the arrival of hospital ship
. The transport sailed on 8 February, offloaded troops and cargo at Maui on 16 February, and then moved to Pearl Harbor on 17 February to receive needed repairs.
. Arriving at Eniwetok on 9 June, Sheridan transferred troops to assigned LST
s and sailed on 11 June for Saipan
.
Arriving on 15 June, she debarked troops and cargo; and then embarked a large group of casualties on the 18th. She completed offloading cargo on 20 June and sailed from Saipan the following day. After picking up more casualties at Eniwetok on 25 and 26 June, she arrived at Pearl Harbor on 3 July.
on the 22nd, a day after the initial landings, and debarked her troops the following day. The ship departed Guam on 28 July, touched at Eniwetok on 1 August, and arrived at Pearl Harbor on the 10th. There, she received repairs, and then embarked Army troops and equipment for the reconquest of the Philippines
.
, arrived on 20 October in the transport area off Leyte
where she put her troops ashore in the first waves. Completing general unloading on the 22nd, she sailed for Humboldt Bay the same day. After remaining there from 27 October to 5 November, she arrived at Noemfoor Island on the 7th to load Army Air Force personnel and equipment, which she delivered at Leyte on the 18th.
, Bougainville Island
, where she arrived on 1 December. There, she combat-loaded Army troops; and then underwent extensive training in amphibious operations, moving to Huon Gulf
, New Guinea
for the final rehearsal on the 19th. Returning to Manus on the 21st, she sailed on 31 December 1944 as part of an assault group bound for Lingayen Gulf
.
The force encountered heavy air opposition during the approach on 8 January 1945, but Sheridan arrived unscathed and landed her troops early the next day. She then took on board 108 Navy casualties and survivors mainly from the escort carrier , and sailed the same day for Leyte, arriving on the 12th. There, she embarked troops, and, after a landing rehearsal on 25 January, put them ashore on the 29th at La Paz
, Philippine Islands, which turned out to be under the control of friendly guerrillas. The transport anchored in San Pedro, P.I., on 1 February and remained there until late March while the war moved closer to the Japanese homeland.
, P.I., on 6 August after stops at Eniwetok, Ulithi
, and Leyte.
, P.I., on 15 and 16 August, but due to the end of the war, debarked them at Tacloban on the 18th. Arriving at Batangas
, P.I., three days later, she loaded troops for the occupation of Japan and sailed for Japan on the 25th.
The ship entered Tokyo Bay
as the surrender document was being signed on board battleship
, and offloaded her troops on 3 September. Sailing on the next day, Sheridan arrived at Okinawa on the 7th; and, after riding out a typhoon at sea, between 16 and 18 September, she embarked troops and sailed on 26 September for Taku, China. She remained at Taku from 30 September to 6 October and then sailed to the Philippines to embark a marine air group which she delivered at Taku on 14 November.
Arriving at San Diego on the 23d, she commenced a period of overhaul; but, on 7 January 1946, she was released from Magic Carpet duty and designated for disposal.
, on 1 February for deactivation. Sheridan was decommissioned on 5 March 1946, delivered to the Maritime Commission on 7 April 1946, and struck from the Navy List
on 12 April 1946.
on 24 October 1947, she was briefly named Pioneer Sun and then served as American Scientist from 1947 until damaged by an explosion in July 1969 and scrapped.
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Sheridan was named after five United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
counties
County (United States)
In the United States, a county is a geographic subdivision of a state , usually assigned some governmental authority. The term "county" is used in 48 of the 50 states; Louisiana is divided into parishes and Alaska into boroughs. Parishes and boroughs are called "county-equivalents" by the U.S...
which were in turn named after Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
General Philip H. Sheridan. The ship was laid down on 5 August 1942 under Maritime Commission contract by the Moore Dry Dock Company
Moore Dry Dock Company
Moore Dry Dock Company was a ship repair and shipbuilding company in Oakland, California. It was started in San Francisco in 1905 as the Moore & Scott Iron Works, but was destroyed by fire in the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. It reopened soon and in 1909 purchased the Boole Shipyard in Oakland....
of Oakland, California
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
as SS Messenger; renamed Sheridan and designated AP-94 by the Navy on 5 October 1942; launched on 11 November 1942; reclassified APA-51 on 1 February 1943; acquired by the Navy from the Maritime Commission on 31 July 1943; and commissioned the same day, Comdr. John J. Mockrish, USNR in command.
World War II
Sheridan moved from Oakland to San Francisco on 31 August 1943; and, on 7 September, got underway for shakedown. Returning to San Francisco on 26 September, she loaded cargo and sailed for the western Pacific on 1 October. On 18 October, she delivered cargo at NouméaNouméa
Nouméa is the capital city of the French territory of New Caledonia. It is situated on a peninsula in the south of New Caledonia's main island, Grande Terre, and is home to the majority of the island's European, Polynesian , Indonesian, and Vietnamese populations, as well as many Melanesians,...
; and, on the 25th, she arrived at Wellington, New Zealand, where she embarked marines and their equipment.
Invasion of Tarawa
Departing New Zealand on 1 November, she underwent amphibiousAmphibious warfare
Amphibious warfare is the use of naval firepower, logistics and strategy to project military power ashore. In previous eras it stood as the primary method of delivering troops to non-contiguous enemy-held terrain...
training at Efate Island from the 7th to the 9th and sailed from there on the 13th for the invasion of the Gilbert Islands
Gilbert Islands
The Gilbert Islands are a chain of sixteen atolls and coral islands in the Pacific Ocean. They are the main part of Republic of Kiribati and include Tarawa, the site of the country's capital and residence of almost half of the population.-Geography:The atolls and islands of the Gilbert Islands...
. Sheridan arrived off Tarawa early in the morning of 20 November 1943 and began debarking troops shortly before noon and cargo in mid-afternoon. The next day, she began reembarking troops, boats, and casualties. Sailing on 24 November, she arrived on 2 December at Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
, where she discharged her casualties and was inspected by Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz
Chester Nimitz
Fleet Admiral Chester William Nimitz, GCB, USN was a five-star admiral in the United States Navy. He held the dual command of Commander in Chief, United States Pacific Fleet , for U.S. naval forces and Commander in Chief, Pacific Ocean Areas , for U.S...
.
On 5 December, she disembarked cargo and marines at Hilo, T.H.
Territory of Hawaii
The Territory of Hawaii or Hawaii Territory was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 7, 1898, until August 21, 1959, when its territory, with the exception of Johnston Atoll, was admitted to the Union as the fiftieth U.S. state, the State of Hawaii.The U.S...
, and then proceeded to the west coast
West Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
, arriving at San Diego
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
on 13 December.
Invasion of Kwajalein
Sheridan participated in practice landings at Oceanside, CaliforniaOceanside, California
-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Oceanside had a population of 167,086. The population density was 3,961.8 people per square mile...
, from 15 to 17 December 1943, and then welcomed the new year, 1944, with more exercises at San Clemente from 1 to 5 January. She then received her combat loadout of troops and supplies and sailed from San Diego on 13 January.
Stopping at Maui
Maui
The island of Maui is the second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands at and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is part of the state of Hawaii and is the largest of Maui County's four islands, bigger than Lānai, Kahoolawe, and Molokai. In 2010, Maui had a population of 144,444,...
, T.H., just long enough to fuel, she arrived off the beaches of Kwajalein Atoll on 31 January. Her troops participated in the landings at Roi
Roi-Namur
Roi-Namur is an island in the northern part of the Kwajalein atoll in the Marshall Islands.Occupied by Japanese forces prior to World War II, it was the target of the U.S. 4th Marine Division in the Battle of Kwajalein, in February 1944....
on 1 February while Sheridan remained off the beaches offloading cargo and acting as a temporary hospital ship pending the arrival of hospital ship
Hospital ship
A hospital ship is a ship designated for primary function as a floating medical treatment facility or hospital; most are operated by the military forces of various countries, as they are intended to be used in or near war zones....
. The transport sailed on 8 February, offloaded troops and cargo at Maui on 16 February, and then moved to Pearl Harbor on 17 February to receive needed repairs.
Invasion of Saipan
On 28 February, Sheridan began an intensive period of amphibious training at Maui, which lasted, with two short breaks, until 19 May. On 30 May, she sailed from Pearl Harbor with a task force bound for the MarianasMariana Islands
The Mariana Islands are an arc-shaped archipelago made up by the summits of 15 volcanic mountains in the north-western Pacific Ocean between the 12th and 21st parallels north and along the 145th meridian east...
. Arriving at Eniwetok on 9 June, Sheridan transferred troops to assigned LST
Tank landing ship
Landing Ship, Tank was the military designation for naval vessels created during World War II to support amphibious operations by carrying significant quantities of vehicles, cargo, and landing troops directly onto an unimproved shore....
s and sailed on 11 June for Saipan
Saipan
Saipan is the largest island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , a chain of 15 tropical islands belonging to the Marianas archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean with a total area of . The 2000 census population was 62,392...
.
Arriving on 15 June, she debarked troops and cargo; and then embarked a large group of casualties on the 18th. She completed offloading cargo on 20 June and sailed from Saipan the following day. After picking up more casualties at Eniwetok on 25 and 26 June, she arrived at Pearl Harbor on 3 July.
Invasion of Guam
Sheridan embarked Army troops there on 4 July and sailed on the 9th. Touching at Eniwetok on the 17th, she arrived at GuamGuam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
on the 22nd, a day after the initial landings, and debarked her troops the following day. The ship departed Guam on 28 July, touched at Eniwetok on 1 August, and arrived at Pearl Harbor on the 10th. There, she received repairs, and then embarked Army troops and equipment for the reconquest of the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
.
Invasion of Leyte
After a week of amphibious training at Maui from 1 to 7 September, Sheridan departed Pearl Harbor on the 15th, and, after stops at Eniwetok and ManusManus Island
Manus Island is part of Manus Province in northern Papua New Guinea and is the largest island of the Admiralty Islands. It is the fifth largest island in Papua New Guinea with an area of 2,100 km², measuring around 100 km × 30 km. According to the 2000 census, Manus Island had a...
, arrived on 20 October in the transport area off Leyte
Leyte
Leyte is a province of the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. Its capital is Tacloban City and occupies the northern three-quarters of the Leyte Island. Leyte is located west of Samar Island, north of Southern Leyte and south of Biliran...
where she put her troops ashore in the first waves. Completing general unloading on the 22nd, she sailed for Humboldt Bay the same day. After remaining there from 27 October to 5 November, she arrived at Noemfoor Island on the 7th to load Army Air Force personnel and equipment, which she delivered at Leyte on the 18th.
Invasion of the Philippines
Arriving at Manus on the 24th, Sheridan sailed on the 28th for TorokinaTorokina
Torokina is a coastal village on the island of Bougainville, Papua New Guinea. It is located on the western coast of that island, at ....
, Bougainville Island
Bougainville Island
Bougainville Island is the main island of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville of Papua New Guinea. This region is also known as Bougainville Province or the North Solomons. The population of the province is 175,160 , which includes the adjacent island of Buka and assorted outlying islands...
, where she arrived on 1 December. There, she combat-loaded Army troops; and then underwent extensive training in amphibious operations, moving to Huon Gulf
Huon Gulf
Huon Gulf is a large gulf in eastern Papua New Guinea, at . It is bordered by Huon Peninsula in the north. Both are named after French explorer Jean-Michel Huon de Kermadec. Huon Gulf is a part of the Solomon Sea. Lae, capital of the Morobe Province is located on the northern coast of the...
, New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
for the final rehearsal on the 19th. Returning to Manus on the 21st, she sailed on 31 December 1944 as part of an assault group bound for Lingayen Gulf
Lingayen Gulf
The Lingayen Gulf is an extension of the South China Sea on Luzon in the Philippines stretching . It is framed by the provinces of Pangasinan and La Union and sits between the Zambales Mountains and the Cordillera Central...
.
The force encountered heavy air opposition during the approach on 8 January 1945, but Sheridan arrived unscathed and landed her troops early the next day. She then took on board 108 Navy casualties and survivors mainly from the escort carrier , and sailed the same day for Leyte, arriving on the 12th. There, she embarked troops, and, after a landing rehearsal on 25 January, put them ashore on the 29th at La Paz
La Paz
Nuestra Señora de La Paz is the administrative capital of Bolivia, as well as the departmental capital of the La Paz Department, and the second largest city in the country after Santa Cruz de la Sierra...
, Philippine Islands, which turned out to be under the control of friendly guerrillas. The transport anchored in San Pedro, P.I., on 1 February and remained there until late March while the war moved closer to the Japanese homeland.
Invasion of Okinawa
On 14 March 1945, Sheridan loaded troops for her final assault landing, the one on Okinawa. After training in the Philippines, the transport sailed with an assault force on 27 March and put her troops ashore in the first waves at Okinawa on 1 April.Repairs and training
Departing Okinawa on the 5th, she touched at Guam and Pearl Harbor and then arrived at San Francisco on 29 April for a major overhaul. Repairs were carried out between 4 May and 26 June by the United Engineering Co., San Francisco. Sheridan then proceeded to San Diego on 1 July for refresher training in amphibious operations, returning to San Francisco on the 12th. Sailing three days later, she delivered her passengers at SamarSamar
Samar, formerly and also known as Western Samar, is a province in the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. Its capital is Catbalogan City and covers the western portion of Samar as well as several islands in the Samar Sea located to the west of the mainland...
, P.I., on 6 August after stops at Eniwetok, Ulithi
Ulithi
Ulithi is an atoll in the Caroline Islands of the western Pacific Ocean, about 191 km east of Yap. It consists of 40 islets totalling , surrounding a lagoon about long and up to wide—at one of the largest in the world. It is administered by the state of Yap in the Federated States of...
, and Leyte.
After hostilities
Sheridan loaded troops at ZamboangaZamboanga City
The City of Zamboanga : is a highly urbanized, independent and a chartered city located in Mindanao, Philippines....
, P.I., on 15 and 16 August, but due to the end of the war, debarked them at Tacloban on the 18th. Arriving at Batangas
Batangas
Batangas is a first class province of the Philippines located on the southwestern part of Luzon in the CALABARZON region. Its capital is Batangas City and it is bordered by the provinces of Cavite and Laguna to the north and Quezon to the east. Across the Verde Island Passages to the south is the...
, P.I., three days later, she loaded troops for the occupation of Japan and sailed for Japan on the 25th.
The ship entered Tokyo Bay
Tokyo Bay
is a bay in the southern Kantō region of Japan. Its old name was .-Geography:Tokyo Bay is surrounded by the Bōsō Peninsula to the east and the Miura Peninsula to the west. In a narrow sense, Tokyo Bay is the area north of the straight line formed by the on the Miura Peninsula on one end and on...
as the surrender document was being signed on board battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
, and offloaded her troops on 3 September. Sailing on the next day, Sheridan arrived at Okinawa on the 7th; and, after riding out a typhoon at sea, between 16 and 18 September, she embarked troops and sailed on 26 September for Taku, China. She remained at Taku from 30 September to 6 October and then sailed to the Philippines to embark a marine air group which she delivered at Taku on 14 November.
Operation Magic Carpet
Assigned next to Operation Magic Carpet, she sailed on 28 November from Taku; embarked marine troops at Sasebo, Japan; and sailed from there on 7 December for the United States.Arriving at San Diego on the 23d, she commenced a period of overhaul; but, on 7 January 1946, she was released from Magic Carpet duty and designated for disposal.
Decommission
She sailed from San Diego on 11 January and arrived at Mobile, AlabamaMobile, Alabama
Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
, on 1 February for deactivation. Sheridan was decommissioned on 5 March 1946, delivered to the Maritime Commission on 7 April 1946, and struck from the Navy List
Naval Vessel Register
The Naval Vessel Register is the official inventory of ships and service craft in custody of or titled by the United States Navy. It contains information on ships and service craft that make up the official inventory of the Navy from the time a vessel is authorized through its life cycle and...
on 12 April 1946.
Commercial service
Sold by the Maritime Commission to the United States LinesUnited States Lines
United States Lines was a transatlantic shipping company that operated cargo services from 1921 to 1989, and ocean liners until 1969—most famously the SS United States.-1920s:...
on 24 October 1947, she was briefly named Pioneer Sun and then served as American Scientist from 1947 until damaged by an explosion in July 1969 and scrapped.